[Left-sided flank pain in coincident infrarenal aortic aneurysm and left-sided nephropathy].

Two cases illustrating the difficult differential diagnosis of left-sided pain in the coincidence of nephropathy and aortic aneurysm are described. In both cases an aortic aneurysm was discovered, although the aneurysm caused the pain in the side in only one case. In particular, older men with recently occurring side or back pain must be examined with regard to aortic aneurysm. As the classic symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm are frequently disguised, aneurysm must always be considered as a cause of left-sided pain.